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Thursday, November 15, 2012

What are you {thankful} for?

When I first started to think of this question, all the funny things came to mind. For Little Miss it would probably be bacon, beef jerky, barbies, "girl legos", and junior mints. lol

What about me? Well, at first, I chuckle thinking of Starbucks, sleep, my iPhone, and Shamrock Shakes. You know the necessities. ;)

As I started thinking of how to translate those things I am {thankful} for into a lunch, my mind kept coming back to one in particular I made for Little Miss last year. It pretty much sums up the real thankfulness in my heart.

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My baby girl. My Little Miss.

I've pretty much spewed my guts out on the blog before (see post *here*) and even though that post started as a way to vent, it ended with thankfulness. You know why? Because with out my daughter, I would be nothing. Heck, I probably wouldn't be alive right now.

I call her my guardian angel. Sent to rescue me. And she did.

So now I strive every day to make the world a better more safe place for her to live, not just because of her allergies.

My friend Laura once told me something... and it really stuck with me because it's so true.

She said, "God gave you Little Miss because he knew you needed her just as much as she needed you."

It's true.

It's not easy being a food allergy parent, and I like to think I go the extra mile - because I want to not because I have to.

God gave me big shoulders. The ability to keep pushing. No matter what obstacles she and I faced over the last seven years.

Now I'm in a position in my life where I've been blessed to be a blessing and that is how I try to live every single day.

The times I stay up late making phone calls, writing emails, putting all her emergency ID tags together, checking and double checking on each detail for a school field trip to ensure her safety. I'm thankful.

When we lay in her bed together each evening. Reading to one another. Curled up and I sit in awe watching how she's grown and how smart she is. I'm thankful.

When she cries. When she's mad. When she's sick. When she sleeps. When I come home and those arms wrap around me in the tightest hug... I'm thankful.

We are a food allergy family, too. It is challenging for sure, but I feel so blessed that God chose and trusted me to care for my precious son. Your post and bento are a beautiful tribute to your daughter and the incredible journey and life you have with her!

This post is much deeply thought about. The more I read about your post, the more I get to embrace your world with Little Miss. I learn from your post each time. And I'm glad to have known you. Through you I learned so much about allergies. Now I'm sending lunches to school nut-free as much as I could coz anyone from my kids' classes might be severely affected by allergies. Thank you for opening my eyes and heart.